Axle-lubricator.



PATENTED NOV. l2, 1907.

A. B, DAY. AXLB LUBRICATOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13,\l907.

IIIIIII.. L IrII is irovidcd with a larve chamber it,

fren4 srfrrss PATENT oosten.

AXLE-LUBRI'QATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov.l 12, 1907.

Application tiled lune 13,1907. Serial No. 378.791.

To all whomy it 'may concern:

. Be it known that 1, ALFRED B. DAY. a citizen ofthe United States, und a resident of Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented un improved Axlc-Lubricator.

My invention relates to that4 class of axle lubricators in which the outer end of the hub is provided with an opening for reception of lubricant, the same being nor` inally `closed by a spring vulve Uy invention is more particularly an improvement upon the lubricaior forming the subject of a patent granted to H, W. Sanford, No. 847,263, dated Mar. l2, 1907.

Thel details of construction, arrangement, and coinbination oi parts, and the advantages derived thereroni, are hcrcinaitcr set. forth.

in the accompanying drawing Figure l is mainly a central longitudinal section of the hub portion oi' n carwhccl, and niy improved lubricating attaclnnoni applied thereto in connection with the chambcrcd ond of the axle. Fig. 2 is an end view of thc cago, or holder` for thc springy vulve. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the suino. Fig. 4 is n central .section of a nioditicd forni of cage.

A indicates the hub oi tho wheel, und l the chainbcred axle upon which ity is adapted to rotate in the` usual way. It will bo understood that as a ruitl thc axle will bc sccurcil non-rotatably in the car truck.

.An annular groove l is i'oriocd in the axle ncur its epd to receive a ltcy-blocl 2, which is hold in place by a scrcwdiolt or plug Il, As Shown. tho ond of tho axle l; in place of the outer cnil 5 oi thc hul boing provided with a Asmall opening incrcly sutlicicnt to receivev thc now/,le of un oil-can. us in the patent aforesaid. the huh is provided with a largo opt-ning whose migo 'is sci'c\\'tlii'ca ied toV 'receive the cago or cago-holder l'.

\s will bc soon from the several figures oi' ilu`x drawing, this cago coinpriscs'a :icrcu/thrcadcd portion or body ti, which is adapted to screw and lit. into tluenlarged boro ofthe hub. Tho outer ond of said body is provided with a radial flange 7, whit-li, when the cago tl is screwed into place, ahuts the adjacont portion ol the hub. Tho inner portion 8 of thc cage O is e sinooth cylinderof less diameter than tlio thrcadcd body 6, und provided with lateral openings 9 for the passage of lubricant.' The inner end of thc cage isclosod by a disk 10which is provided with a contr-al opening to receive tho cylindrical stem ll of a conical valve l2. Said disk i() therefore constitutes a guide for the valve stein, The periphery of the valve proper is extended laterally, or is of such width that it appro-.whos closely the inner side of the body 8, so that when the valve is pressed back by the introduction of the nozzle oi an oil-can it t is guided practically in a. straight direction. A spiral spring 13 surrounds thestsrn 11, being thus interposed vbetween the hub or valve proper and the disk 10. Thus the valve is held normally seated closely in the body, or threaded portion 6, of the cage. Suchbody is provided exterior-ly with s recess 14, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is inacle rectangular for the purpose of receiving a tool or wrench for screwing the cage in or out of the hub, or the end of the plug may have a. nick t0 receive a screwdriver,

i It is apparent that when the valve 12 is pressed back from .its seat by the nozzle o an oil-can', oil may be introduced into the hollow body 8 of the cage, and will flow thence through the openings 9 into the lateral oil passages or ducts 15 thatlead to the large oil chambers 16 in the body of the hub, snd`rom thence ducts 17 lend at the rear to the bearing of the axle B, or to a point inside the locking groove.

lt will be seen that by my improved construction and arrangement of parts, I provide s. lubricating attachment containing a normally seated valve, but adapted to be opened by due pressure, the body or the wheel hub, and s. portion of the attachment projecting into the reccw in the end of the axle. Thus the lengthoi the bearing of the sxle is not reduced, nor is the saine weakened at the end so as to impair its usefulness, and I avoid the friction incident to `axle-lnl'nicating attachments in which a spring valve an attaclnnent of this character. When removed, it allows quite free access to the lubricating chambers or recesses iii-.tho hub so that they may be cleaned more crnivcniontiy than would be otherwise practicable. In the construction such as illustrated in the patent aforesaid, the Wheel has to be ro'noved from the axle before the spring and valve can be taken out for rcp-air. The body oi the cago does not project from the hub iar enough to be liable to injury by Contact with other objects. The side openings in the cage propcrnllow oil to pass readily to the bearing, and the exterior recess 14 serves not only for the purpose before stated'but also to receive an oil-can nozzle and guidejlie saine to the opening normally closed by the vulve. i i

ln Fig. 4, the vulve has a short stein, and a special `spriniy 1.3" is shown seated on the disk and its small end encircling, the valve stein. By. this combination and arrangement oi' parts, it is unnecessary to protstein.

l claimi'. The combination, with nu axle having a recess formed i iu its. end und yn Wheel hub provided with clminbers for l holding lubricant and with s scrcwthreuded opening in its cage oi the sinne being adapted to be screwed into' is seated directly against the hub end, by providingv vide a supplemental guide and support for the valve outer end, of a valve attachmeni', comprising a springseated vulve and a cage or holder therefor which is provided 'with a screwthrended head adapted for insertion in the opening in the hub, the inner portion of the cage projeeting inside the hub o the wheel and provided with lateral openings for the passage of lubricant, as described.

2. The combination, with an nxie having a large recess in its end and a wheel hui) having lubricant passages and chambers and provided at its outer end with :1n enlarged opening coincident with the recess in the axle, of a `alve einem attachment, comprising a cage adapted for. insertion in' said opening and with a radial iange adapted to abut the portion of the hub surrounding the opening, said cage proA jecting, when in piace, into the recess in the axle, and a spring-pressed valve seated outwardly in such cage, as

shown and described.

ALFRED B. DAY.

Witnesses F. E. LAuGun/m, J. A, AHLRR. 

